Beginnings
by Macross-Green
Summary: Taking place during the beginning of the Searcher's quest, another person who loses his home thanks to Moo battles back in his own way. Pelase Read and Review! New: Chapter 5!
1. Digging

The Beginning  
  
Chapter 1: Digging  
By Macrossgrn  
  
I sighed softly as I woke up at the crack of... 'Wait, what time is it?' I asked  
myself, even as I looked out the opened window. The sun was somewhat high   
in the air, so I guessed it was around 10 o'clock. "Ten? Oh great..." I muttered,   
and dashed to put on my work clothes. My red hair flashed in the morning sunlight.  
Once I had the once-green tunic and breeches on (which were still a little big for me,  
no less), I immediately went outside. This wasn't the first time I'd slept in (and likely   
wouldn't be the last). But, with any luck today, it might be the last. Grabbing a   
shovel and a pick ax that were leaning against my little cottage, I began the walk   
down toward the place where I had been digging for quite a while now. It was lonely,   
being in the middle of nowhere, without anyone to talk to, so I kept myself busy by   
digging near the river. Sure, there were the occasional monsters to talk to. There   
was a small clan of Tigers in the area, and they kept the place relatively secure.   
They tolerated my presence, since I would let them live in the side room of my cottage   
during winter.  
  
After 20 minutes or so of walking, I reached the riverbank. I had never   
deluded myself into thinking that I would find gold in this area. It would be very unlikely.   
"Still, there's more to life than gold," I said to myself, tossing the shovel to the side easily.  
The pick ax was lifted up and off of my shoulder with a simple movement, and I walked   
over to the small cliff side, which I'd been caving in, in order to move my home down to   
this place someday. Part of the river had been diverted, thanks to my efforts of placing   
rocks in the way of it. It would wash away some of the dirt and rocks that I knocked loose   
from the cliff. "Now, to work" I said to myself softly, and with sudden slashing motion with   
the pick ax, I drove the blade deep into the crumbling cliff side. I pulled and twisted at the   
dirt that clung onto the cliff, as if for dear life. Finally, it gave way, crumbling into the   
slowly running water that was soaking my feet. With another heave, almost effortlessly, I   
began another attack against the cliff, slashing my pick ax against the dirt.  
  
Soon, an entire hour had gone by, and I decided it was time for a break. I wasn't  
the most physical person around (in fact, I prefer using my mind), so taking a break was   
often a good idea for me. I had planned the correct areas to strike at, so that when I   
finally got to the right place, and chipped enough of the cliff away, it would all come   
crumbling down, to create a good spot for my new home. "Too bad that it would take a   
while," I muttered, sitting down on a boulder a few feet away from where I'd been   
attacking the ground. I heard a noise behind me, and I looked quickly toward the sound.   
A blur of light passing through a nearly invisible substance made me grin slightly, and I  
looked over toward the rock up on top of the cliff.  
  
Sure enough, there it was. It was hard to see the Jelly Hound, but it's shape was   
unmistakable. "Well hello there Jound. How are you today?" I asked politely, grinning up   
to the tiger. The tiger simply stood there for a moment, and then up to the sky. I then   
pulled the pick ax toward me carefully. Jound had never done this before. I waited for a   
moment, after which he began to speak. "Tyson, there's a storm approaching. This one   
will be very fierce. I am afraid that your cottage will not provide you any protection. I   
suggest you find someplace to go towards… and, I do not mean the nearby village. They   
too, will be engulfed in this storm," the Tiger said softly, but loud enough for me to hear   
him. The village nearby which he had referred to, was a very nice place... in fact, it was   
where I had grown up. But, only a few years ago, I decided to move into the wilderness   
to eke out a living on my own. 'That was around the time of the mayoral election,' I   
thought to myself, nodding to Jound as I stood up. "Thank you for the information,   
Jound. But, should we not try to warn the villagers first?" I asked, swinging the pick ax   
onto my shoulder gently, while taking the shovel into the other hand.  
  
"Tyson, my pack will warn the villagers of the storm. And, we will provide   
assistance to them if they need it. But, you need to be getting out of here. I suggest   
the caves to the east. They'll be a good place for you to hide from the storm." Jound   
said, turning his gaze from the sky and to me. He gave me a grin, and then jumped off   
of the rock, ending up beside me, on the rock I had just been sitting on. "Tyson, you   
need to be very careful… without the pack to help you around now, you are a vulnerable   
human, you know."  
  
I gave a small laugh, and nodded at that with a smile. "That's true, but remember,  
I can fight. How else did I earn your pack's trust, hmm?" I responded, grinning slightly   
before laughing again. Jound joined in with laughter of his own. "Good point, Tyson.   
Still, I am not joking. Look up." And I did just that, tilting my head to look skyward.   
Dark storm clouds had gathered overhead. I shivered slightly, thinking that I'd never   
seen such dark clouds before in my life. It seemed almost ominous. "You're right   
Jound, that does seem like a very fierce storm that is brewing up there. I'll have to pack   
my things." suddenly, a gust of wind flew by, and I smirked slightly.  
  
"Pack lightly, my boy. You'll need speed to get away from this storm. Take care,   
I'm off to check on the villagers." And with that, my friend, Jound, bounded away,   
howling into the air, only to be returned by members of his pack which began to swarm   
around him. Just as quickly, however, they disappeared into the rapidly darkening forest.   
With a start, I shook myself, and shrugged. 'I have a good 20 minutes or so to keep   
digging,' I thought. Setting the shovel down and looking toward the cliff, I was surprised   
to find that there was a round edge poking out of it. It was about a foot long, too, and   
about 10 inches high. "It almost looks like... Nah, couldn't be!" I said, and I struck the   
side of the cliff next to the edges. With precise hits, I managed to dig a small channel   
around the thing. With one good swing, from overhead and down into the now soft earth   
(it had begun raining in the last moment or so, and I hadn't noticed), the long cylinder   
came out from the ground, and rolled down and into the water near my feet.  
  
After letting the river water rush along it, washing away the dirt and mud from the   
thing, I tilted it so that I could take a better look at it. As I did so, I gasped in complete   
surprise. A small package of mystery disks, 3 of them, tied together, had been buried by   
someone who knows how long ago, and here they are! It was hard enough to find more   
than one in a lifetime, but here I've found 3 in a row, all by chance! My thoughts were   
cut short as lightning flashed overhead, and a low rumbling of thunder soon followed.   
Grabbing the package carefully, I began to head toward the cottage quickly. Little   
was I to know the ramifications of this night, especially when I felt my body go   
completely rigid halfway there. The package fell from my hands, and I found myself   
falling toward the ground, as surges of pain webbed its way through my body. It was   
as if I'd been hit by something strong, and yet, I didn't feel hurt. Numb, and in a   
small amount of pain, yes, but not very hurt. Instead, my eyes began to close, and   
I couldn't see anymore.  
  
Hours seemingly passed by in mere moments. My body was still numb and unable   
to move. Even my red hair was numb, and my eyes burned when I tried to open them. All   
I could see was a dark tunnel inside my mind, with random images floating trough them.   
Thoughts of helping my parents on their farm. Playing with the monsters that lived in the   
village. Arguing with a Suezo over which one of us would get the food (the Suezo got it   
after tongue-slapping me several times). I had learned to enjoy that Suezo's company,   
even if it did belong to the cute little brown haired girl in the village. I also remembered   
that her father had seemingly disappeared just after the mayoral election, too. I   
remembered the rainy seasons, when we children would work indoors, baking bread   
or helping out around the home. I remembered the summer, when many of us had to   
bring buckets of water from the well or the river in order to water the vegetables so   
that there would be enough to eat. Remembering the old days brought a smile to my   
face, which was quickly taken away as pain tore through me afterwards.  
  
Eventually, however, I became able to hear once again, as well as feel. I was able   
to feel the cold, wet clothes that I had on, as well as the feeling that I was being   
watched. With the ability to hear, I was able to figure out a few things. Many voices I   
had never heard before were marching right past me. With my experience listening to   
monsters and how they moved, I was able to recognize the movements of Hares and   
Jells of some sort. There were also a few tigers among them, I noticed, as I heard one   
stop near me, sniff at my prone carcass, and then move on. It obviously thought of me   
as very little threat, or perhaps it even thought that I was dead. All within 10 minutes   
of being able to hear again, the entire group of monsters passed me by. All except   
one, that is, which was still moving steadily along with the others, but much further   
behind.  
  
'This sound is different,' I thought. I could hear very little in the way of   
movement from this being, but what I did heard brought to mind the information that   
my father had given me about the time he'd been attacked by a monster. "It was   
one of the slithering monsters, like a snake moves. But, it had the upper body of   
something like a human. It had arms, too- strong arms. I thought they were going to   
crush me. I'm just glad I that Trojan was with me. I may not have been here today if   
it wasn't for him knocking out that Naga with a swift strike from his pole-arm." It   
was a tale I had heard only once or twice, but the fact that a monster that wasn't   
a Golem could crush a man so easily was something that made it stick out in my mind.  
  
The monster was a Naga. It was simple to tell, really, now that the noise of feet   
and body mass shifting had moved out of earshot. The slithering was unmistakable.   
The monster didn't notice me at all, it seemed, as it continued on its course down toward   
the south. At least, I thought it was to the south. If it was... then, the village I had grown   
up in, would be the monster's target. Then, there was silence. It was eerie, I thought,   
being able to hear, and yet not move. The strangest thing about it was that there wasn't   
any owls making any noise at all. Instead, the silence was deafening. Absolutely no   
sound could be heard. It went on this way for another 20 minutes or so, until I heard   
the first sound of many more like it.  
  
  



	2. Battle

Chapter 2: Battle  
  
Cries of pain and attacks filled the air. I managed to open my eyes, and found   
myself in a position in which I was unable to look towards the village. Slowly, with   
much hard work, I managed to turn myself around on the ground, feeling and movement   
slowly coming back to me. What I saw was very little... at least, until I managed to look  
into the sky. Smoke and battle cries filled the air. The stench of death and blood   
seemed to fill the air all around, as well. Large explosions, small ones, and arcs of  
lightning wove from the ground and up to the air, and sometimes, it was the other way   
around. Being slow and rather quiet, I managed to get to my feet. Rather shakily, I   
looked around carefully, figuring out where exactly I was, and which direction I should  
go. Then, I remembered the prize I had found earlier, and I quickly searched around,   
wincing in pain as I felt my body getting jerked around while I searched for the package.  
  
Sighing in relief, I spotted the package. It was but a foot or so away, and had   
been hidden from any of the monsters by the fact it was inside a small hole. Slowly,   
carefully, I walked toward the hole, and kneeled down to pick it up. Sure enough, I   
cried out in some pain as I picked it up. Then, with a fast turn about and a run, I   
headed back towards my cottage. I just hoped the monsters hadn't found it, or   
even worse, I hope they hadn't destroyed it. At breakneck speeds I wound through   
the wildlife, passing through trees, plants, and all sorts of vegetation as I headed home.   
The thought of my pick ax had suddenly crossed my mind, but I simply decided to forget   
about it again. 'Even weaponless, I am an okay fighter,' I thought. But that was wiped   
away as the stench of blood and death surrounded me once more. My face went pale   
as I stepped from the ill-used path and found myself in the clearing in front of my house.   
"Oh no..."  
  
The cottage was on fire. But that wasn't the worst of it, not by a long shot.   
There were at least a dozen lost disks surrounding the house. There were also several   
human bodies there, too. I didn't dare look at them, to try and recognize them... I'd gone   
into shock. My hands, arms, and legs were shaking uncontrollably as I sank to my knees   
on the muddy ground. I closed my eyes to stop the tears from flowing, which was when I   
heard an unfamiliar voice come from nearby. "Well now, it looks like we missed one!" a   
rough voice spoke, and then a few others laughed. From the sound of their laughter, I   
determined that they were Hare monsters, with perhaps a single Jell monster with them.   
I opened my eyes, and found that I was right. There were 3 Hares and a single Jell   
monster, all slowly making their way toward me.  
  
I felt the rage surge within my body as I slowly stood. The laughing monsters   
looked at me with evil intent in their minds and in their gait. I simply stood there, waiting   
for the monsters to reach me, to strike me down so that I may be with those that I   
remembered as friends, as family. 'But,' I thought, 'if I must go, I don't want to go   
alone.' I flashed the monsters a slight grin, and, with a sudden turn, I ran for a tree that   
stood nearby. As expected, I heard heavy steps and plodding behind me, as the Hares   
and Jell ran after me. I knew what I was doing, for I had attempted to use this tactic   
against a Tiger before. Unfortunately, Tigers were too agile to be fooled by this   
maneuver, but Hares and Jells certainly were not. With a sudden jump toward the   
tree, I shifted my body weight so that my feet would come to bear against the bark.   
With another shift of weight, as well as another jump, I sent myself almost cartwheeling  
backwards, head over heels, and I landed on my feet. With a look over my shoulder, I   
smirked slightly, seeing the Hares and Jell slamming into the tree with so much force   
that the tree had been knocked partway out of the ground.  
  
"Torpedo!" a familiar voice said, and immediately, I ducked from the attack,  
jumping to the side. Just as I had thought, a bolt of electricity slashed through the   
air where I had been, and then back into the four clumsy monsters behind me. The   
attack struck all four monsters, and I knew that this was my best chance. Scrambling   
to my feet, I ran at full speed toward the origin of the Torpedo attack. Standing on top   
of a branch of a tree was Jound. There was no sight of his pack, however. I flashed a   
grin at him, and he returned the favor, before looking back towards the Hares and Jell.   
They'd just collected themselves, and were about ready to start fighting again, and that   
was when Jound and I decided to take them on.   
  
"Tyson, let's go!" he said, and he dropped off of the branch and next to me. With a nod, I   
climbed onto Jound's back. Fortunately, he'd been able to bear my weight for a long time now  
(I'm not fat- in fact, I'm rather thin), and Jound took off in a dead run toward the four monsters.   
I readied myself for one of the basic attacks that Jound had taught me when dealing with   
monsters like this. Steadying my legs on either side of Jound, I focused on the targets that   
I had given myself. Knowing Jound, he'd concentrate on the other two, after I'd attacked   
mine. With my gaze on two of the Hares, I quickly jumped from Jound's back and into the air   
as we'd gotten close enough. The two Hares were so surprised at this maneuver that they forgot   
about attacking, and looked up at me. A simple flip in the air, and I dove at them feet first. A   
dropkick, a rather hurtful maneuver for human and monster alike, was the first real attack I'd   
learned when training with Jound a long time ago (it was also the only effective attack I'd ever   
learned from a Tiger). Unfortunately for me, however, one of the Hares moved out of the way,   
and wound up an attack of its own.  
  
Without a word, the Hare struck out at me just as I manage to connect with its partner.   
"Guru-Guru!" the Hare yelled at the last moment, slamming the wound-up attack out at me. I   
ended up kicking the one hare that hadn't moved in the face, and then I found myself getting   
hit in the back, forcing me to basically tackle the same Hare I had been attacking. "Dang it..."   
I muttered, wincing in pain before moving out of the way, ducking out from between the two Hares.   
Just as I had suspected, the same one that had moved had come in close for a one-two attack,   
which just barely missed me. Unfortunately, it didn't miss the other Hare, as a blinding light flashed,   
and in that hare's place was a lost disk.  
  
Jound was doing quite well on his own against a Hare and a Jell. A Torpedo attack had sufficiently   
knocked out the Jell for a moment, and the Hare was too slow to even hit Jound with any of its   
attacks. Guru-Guru, 1-2 Punch, Gas Attack... none even came close to Jound. Then, that was   
when something unusual happened. A pair of powerful red beams came from somewhere close,   
barely missing Jound as he jumped out of the way. The beams did connect, however, with the   
newly lost disk, disintegrating it completely. All the fighters looked back towards the new arrival.   
The Hares and Jell grinned evilly, while I paled. Jound simply growled angrily at the monster. I   
slowly looked back toward the newcomer as well, and I found myself going pale as I saw the monster   
there. The same thought that had run through my mind earlier- that is, the one about the monster   
that had nearly killed my father, ran through my mind again as I gazed upon the monster standing   
before us.  
  
It was a greenish-purple color. Its lower body was that of a large, long snake. It could move   
almost silently when it tried to, and when it moved fast, it would still be rather quiet. The upper   
torso, however, was much different from the bottom half. Two large, muscular (scaled, no less) arms   
jutted outward from the monster, ending in human-like hands, although the fingers were really claws.   
The scaled torso got larger at the chest, showing off the monster's muscular build. Along either   
side of the monster's neck was a hood-like protrusion. All this led up to the reptilian head that  
looked a lot like a normal cobra-snake's head. 'My father was right,' I thought, barely whisperng   
this out loud on accident. No one seemed to hear me... at least, no one commented about it.   
'This must be a Naga.'  
  
"Because of your incompetence..." the snake-like monster hissed out, looking first toward the   
three monsters that were part of its army. "I will never tolerate failure. Because you have failed to   
defeat even these two, I will punish you. Eye Beams!" and with that, the Naga proceeded to launch  
another pair of eye beams at its own compatriots. Two were caught by the blast, and were   
immediately turned into lost disks. The remaining Hare, however, started to run for its life, not   
bothering with the human and Jelly Hound anymore. Another pair of eye beams and the very last   
hare had been turned into a lost disk as well. Then, the Naga looked towards the two remaining,  
living beings upon this battlefield. The burning cottage cast an ominous light over the three   
beings that were present. Upon the Naga's chest, I noticed, was a small, brown emblem. It was   
etched in an old sign, one that I was sure I had seen before in an old book.  
  
The Naga noticed my gaze, and it grinned evilly to answer my unspoken question. "You and your   
friends..." he began, sweeping an arm toward the village. "Are the first to feel our Master's wrath.   
If you will join us, fellow monster, I will spare your life. As for you, boy, you will die by my hands.   
I will give you a few seconds to decide, after which will be the end of the human's life." The thing   
watched at us expectantly. I glanced toward Jound, and was surprised to see it bolt out toward the   
Naga. "Run Tyson! Head toward the hiding spot I told you to get to! I'll meet up with you there!"   
I grinned, and nodded in agreement, turning my back quickly as I heard the Torpedo attack flash   
through the air. I ran, leaving the two monsters to fight. I ran as fast as I could, heading toward   
the caves to the north, carrying with me the mystery disks I had found earlier, a small pack that   
had but a day's worth of food within (which I'd forgotten to eat earlier for lunch) and a small blanket.  
  
For over an hour, I ran, stumbling over rocks here and there, banging parts of my body against rocks,   
trees, branches, and needled shrubs. By the time I found myself near the caves, my legs and arms   
were bleeding. I must have been running due to something other than oxygen, for I was completely   
out of breath when I got there. I made one step into the cave, and collapsed. Pain, exhaustion,   
and numbness had never been so powerful within my body, and now, all I wanted to do was sleep.   
However, before doing so, I managed to drag myself completely into the cave before sleep overcame   
me. With an outstretched hand above me, and the other hand clutching the mystery disks close   
against me, my eyes slowly shut, and my pain and exhaustion was swept away as the numbness of   
sleep overcame my weary body.   



	3. Realization

Chapter 3: Realization  
  
My eyes began to open as I felt a searing pain in my legs. My arms were throbbing in pain as well, but not to the degree that I could feel from my legs, I noticed. I groaned out in pain as I slowly forced my arms to move my body into a sitting position, wincing in pain as I set down upon the cold, stone floor. My eyes opened wide as I remembered the mystery disks that I had been holding onto, and I shifted my gaze to my arms, and sighed softly. When I moved, I hadn't been able to feel the pressure of the mystery disks against my arms or chest. "Guess I was concentrating on other things," I whispered… and then blinked. My throat was parched, which made me unable to speak above a whisper, even though I had thought I'd spoken at a normal tone of voice. I swallowed a few times, to no avail.  
  
'First thing's first,' I thought, as I struggled against my pain to stand up against a wall. 'I need to find some water.' I listened around for a moment, closing my eyes for the same amount of time as I attempted to try and hear any sources of water echoing through the cave. It was unnerving, though… As I listened for water, the pain in my arms and legs intensified in my mind, even though they didn't really hurt any more than they did already. I shook my head and opened my eyes, this time looking around the cave. I couldn't help but to laugh a little as I caught sight of myself. My clothes were tattered and torn. My shirt was barely hanging on my body, and the only part of my clothes that were still fully intact was my shoes. My laugh died, however, as I suddenly remembered what had happened last night. My body went even colder than it was, causing me to shiver, as I replayed the events in my mind.  
  
The flash of light from my side had signaled the departure of Jound. He'd been one of my best friends, for the longest time. He had leapt forward to attack the Naga, even as he told me to run for my life. I turned and ran, hoping for the return of my friend sometime during the night, or even in the morning. Instead- nothing. Jound had been nowhere nearby. I tried to tell myself that he was still alive, that he'd make it to these caves... but, the omen had just been cast. The sight in before me caused me to gasp in horror. The forest had been mostly burned in a large radius. My own cottage was among the forest ruins. The village was also in sight- trees had been knocked down all around it, leaving me with a clear view of the carnage. The village I had grown up in was now destroyed. Blood and water mixed to curse the earth of the village, while Lost Disks littered the countryside. I sank to my knees as I realized that I had lost everything- my friends, my family, my home... all that I had left was the tattered clothes on my back, as well as the mystery disks in my hands.  
  
With that realization, I glanced down at the small package of mystery disks in my hands. The three disks were still in good condition, I saw. That alone gave me some hope. Perhaps… perhaps I could have a family again… I may not have any more human relative, but monsters could be a good substitute. It would be hard to find a working shrine closer than the nearest city, though. I looked in the direction of the shrine that had been within the village… only to see that it had been demolished. The roof had caved in after the supports were broken, and there was no way to get inside, other than by getting help from a Golem.  
  
I slowly got to me feet, staggering a little bit, as I groaned in pain again. I began to head down toward the village, slow, painful steps taking me there. I soon began to realize just how much destruction had taken place. Houses had been completely destroyed, burned to the ground or just simply pummeled down. There were a few walls left standing here and there, but that was all. After about 2 hours of walking, I made it to the outskirts of the village. I sank to my knees, gazing upon the remains of the once happy place that I had spent my childhood within. No complete houses stood standing. There was a large amount of bodies and lost disks surrounding the mayor's house, indicating that it was in that area that the people and monsters of the village had made their last stand.  
  
There was something rather strange, I saw, as I looked to see the lost disks. Some of them had been taken away from the stalks that would hold them up! 'I don't know why anyone would take lost disks… they can't be restored for a long time…' I thought to myself, once again falling to my knees near the outskirts of the village. Tears came to my eyes as I tried to stop myself from crying. So much death... and I wasn't able to stop it. I closed my eyes, a few tears streaming down my cheek before I managed to hear something- no, it was someone, not too far away. I quickly got up, and ran over to one of the standing walls that was left, just in time to see a brown haired girl and a Suezo begin to pass by. I recognized the pair immediately, and I sighed in relief, smiling as I found that I was not the only one to have survived. Both the girl and monster heard this, and they spun quickly to see me. The Suezo was standing in front of the girl, who was cowering behind the yellow monster, shaking a little in fear.  
  
"It's okay… Suezo, Holly, it's me. Tyson. I was your neighbor a few years ago, remember?" I said, stepping out of the shadows. Both of them sighed in relief, and Holly smiled. Suezo, however, got really annoyed, as it hopped over to me quickly and yelled at me. "What do you think you're doing! You scared us both out of our wits!" he said, and probably would've said more, if I hadn't reached out and took hold of his tongue. "Quiet, you… Do you think that all those monsters are gone? Be quiet! If we're lucky, we can get out of here before any of those monsters decide to come back and look for survivors." I replied, letting go of Suezo's tongue. I hadn't grabbed hold of it too hard, but he wasn't ready for the sudden release, as his tongue flipped back to smack it in the eye. He swore to the Phoenix at that, and shook its head slowly. I looked to Holly, who had stepped out from behind Suezo, and saw that she was holding her breath as I commented on the bad monsters. I couldn't help but to immediately feel bad for saying that, though the statement may have been true.  
  
"It's okay... Suezo, I'm sorry for doing that. But, we must get out of here… I'll help you get to the road toward the next town. Then, you two are on your own… I'll have to cover our tracks, so I'll try to keep the monsters away from you two." I told them, smiling warmly to them. Holly smiled, and sighed in relief as I spoke. "Well, all right. Thank you, Tyson." She said, hooking a small knapsack behind Suezo, and then hefting one of her own upon her shoulders. I noticed that she had a small leather-like rope holding something that was hidden within her tunic, and I could only guess as to what it was. Holly saw my gaze, and nodded as if to confirm what I had thought of. "Yeah… it's the magic stone. Suezo and I swore that we will find the Phoenix, unlock it, and then we can fight against the baddies."  
  
I could only smile, and nod in agreement. "That is a very good idea… But, how will you find it? I mean, the Phoenix is a legend in the village- could it possibly be real?" I asked, to which both Holly and Suezo nodded in response. "Well then, I'd like to join you… but, it is safer if you go alone. You see, I met the monster who destroyed the village last night." I said softly. Suezo's mouth dropped in surprise, and Holly gasped as well. "It was a Naga, and it was the most powerful monster I'd ever seen! In fact, Jound attacked it, to try and let me escape. I haven't seen him since last night."  
  
I shook my head, trying to fight back tears that were trying to escape. 'It wouldn't be good to let them see how scared I am too,' I thought. 'I am older than they are… I need to be strong, at least until they are on their way to the next town.' So, I walked over to what remained of another house, pulling out a stick that I could use to help me walk. Suezo and Holly both waited for me, and I nodded to them, motioning that they should start walking ahead of me. They began to walk slowly, so that I could keep up with them. 'I guess they saw that I was limping,' and I smiled softly, walking as fast as I was able. Soon, I began to pass them, and I glanced back to the two as I hobbled along the path. "What, are you two going to let me walk faster than you?" I challenged them, and they both grinned as they stepped up the pace, soon surpassing me. I quickly doubled my own pace, still using the walking stick to help me along the path, and they were both following me closely now. Holly began to laugh, and I couldn't help but to smile, and neither could Suezo. The laughter helped to cushion the realization that as far as we knew, we were the only survivors of Naga's attack, as well as the last survivors of our village.  
  
We continued on like this for about half an hour, after which a solemn silence permeated the air. There had been no tracks of any other monsters along the path, I noticed, as we hiked along it. 'I just hope we don't run into any baddies...' I thought, and I smiled briefly at the fact that I had used the same term that Holly had earlier. It was an appropriate term, I speculated. The monsters were bad. In fact, they were ruthless as they must've attacked and killed humans and monsters alike. As I thought about them, my mind kept returning to the crest that the Naga had been wearing on its chest. 'Where have I seen that from?' I asked myself, and I closed my eyes as I tried to remember. It was an old book... and then, it hit me. It had been in the book in which the Legend of the Phoenix had been contained within. The only monster other than the Phoenix, which had had much mention of, was...  
  
"Moo!" I exclaimed, and I opened my eyes. I turned around to see Holly and Suezo stunned behind me. "Those bad monsters… they had Moo's crest on them!" I explained, and both of the youngsters paled. "Here… I'll show you the design that they had on their crests." I said, and I knelt in the dirt, and with the walking stick, I etched out the design of the crest. The younger villagers knew the legend of the phoenix by heart, I knew... I had known it just as well as they did, when I was Holly's age (which was only a few years ago). Holly simply nodded in agreement as she saw the finished design. "Yeah... that's the sign of Moo from the Book of the Phoenix..." she said softly, confirming my fears. Suezo asked Holly about the monster known as Moo, and I left them to talk about for a moment, as I walked a little further on the path. Sure enough, I finally noticed fresh tracks. 'Tigers, probably Cabalos,' I thought to myself. Then, I noticed a few others. Figuring from what I knew from the troops that had laid waste to the village, I said aloud the information I knew. "Evil Hares and Tigers have been here." I said to myself, unaware that the two behind me had heard my whisper.  
  
"They... they're here?" Holly asked, and I turned around to look at them. I smiled to her, and shook my head slowly. "Not right here, but they have been here. Perhaps a few hours ago, I think." I replied, and I walked over to them both slowly. "They're probably used as scouts for a main body of monsters making their way inland… which means, the monsters came from the Northeast. If I'm right, those monsters are long gone by now." I explained, and smiled to them. "You see, Tigers and Hares won't cut it if a small force comes down this way. They need more muscle in order to survive against the wild monsters around here. No, if anything, we'll see Dinos before we see any of the faster monsters."  
  
They sighed in relief, and smiled. Holly and Suezo both had known some Dinos from the village, and they knew that Dinos often lacked speed and agility, due to their size. "So… we can at least outrun them… for a while." Holly said, smiling as her hopes arose. Suezo laughed in its own, annoying way- loud and obnoxious, after she said that. I nodded in response to her comment. "That's right. And now, you two had better be moving. I have to cover our tracks now… You'll have at least a few days' head start over any Dinos that may come down this way." I said, and Holly nodded, her features set in a grim determination. "Thank you, Tyson. I'll find the Phoenix. With the help of the Magic Stone, we'll revive it, and we'll defeat Moo." She said, her voice firm and full of hope. Suezo nodded in response. "Yeah, you better believe we'll find the Phoenix!" he said as well, jumping into the air slightly to put an exclamation on his point.  
  
I smiled at that, and grinned. "Make sure you two do find the Phoenix…" I said firmly, feeling some of the pain in my body leave me now. "Remember, the village was destroyed by Naga. Naga is one of Moo's monsters. So, if you do meet up with him... Give him a thrashing for me, as well as for Jound, all right?" I said, my face showing them the same amount of determination, as well as sadness. "But, above all, be safe you two. At this time, you're best off running from danger for now. Fight when you must, but remember that speed is your ally now. Use the magic stone… and find some mystery disks. Even if it doesn't contain the Phoenix, the monsters within the disks can still help you." I said, giving them some advice. I didn't even know where some of the words came from... and then I smiled, taking away one of the disks from the small package of three, and I handed it to them. "Here, take this disk to the nearest shrine. Perhaps it will give you the help you will need." I told them, and Holly took the disk, hugging it to her chest as she smiled warmly at me. "Okay... The nearest one is to the west, right?" she asked, and I thought about that direction.  
  
To the west was a wasteland. There was an old, rundown shrine there, to which an old, stone bridge led. I nodded in agreement to her, even though I knew it would be a several day walk. "That's right, Holly, but you both must get there quickly. The head start I will give you may not last long enough for you to get there..." I warned, to which they both grinned and nodded. "That's all right. I'll protect Holly no matter what." Suezo said, even as Holly held out a hand to me. I took her hand and shook it gently, even as she did the same. "Thank you, Tyson, and good luck." Holly said, smiling once again before turning to Suezo. They then began to walk toward the west, where the sun was beginning to sink towards already. As they walked out of earshot, I finally spoke. "Good luck to you as well… for you are likely to be our best hope in this battle..." and, with that, I turned back toward the east. Using the walking stick, I began to scratch out the tracks the two left, and after an hour or so of doing so, I made my own tracks on them, heading toward the south. 'With any luck, any baddies following our tracks will only follow me,' I said to myself, even as I continued walking, my arms and legs feeling much better than before. Little did I, or Holly, know of the adventures that would cross our paths... nor of the people who would fall into our friendship, either.   
  
Though we would have different adventures, we would still make friends, who would then become... our family.  



	4. Baddies and Rest

Chapter 4: Baddies and Resting  
  
It had been about two days or so since I'd last seen Holly and her Suezo. I'd been on my own, traveling slowly toward the nearest town. I had seen very few others: mostly monsters, as well as the occasional human. Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to find a shrine in the small village I had gone through but a day ago, and so I remained traveling with torn and battered clothing on my back, with no possessions other than the package of only two mystery disks now. I hoped that the mystery disk that I'd given Holly might have helped her by now, but it was impossible to know yet. And so, I walked along dirt paths and trails, instead of the main road, in hopes of detouring any of Moo's baddies...  
  
"Halt right there, Human!" a gruff voice said. The mere inflection of the voice made me smirk, as I looked up towards the shadow that loomed over myself. At around 20feet tall, with scaly skin, a long, black tail, and a couple feet long snout, I found myself face to face with a Black Dino. The fact that it wore something like a helmet, as well as Moo's emblem, made it too obvious as to what and who it was. I looked into the monster's eyes with a determined look in my own, just watching the monster. It stepped back a little, but then stopped as several other Dinos stepped up beside it. I knew that the monster couldn't see inside the package, because Dinos had rather weak eyesight, in addition to being a little slow and sometimes clumsy.  
  
Then, it spoke up again. "Human, show me what is in the package, and I will let you live." To this, I shook my head before replying to the monster- I hadn't spoken for almost a week now, and my voice took some getting used to. It was slightly deeper than before, I noticed, as I deigned to talk to the Baddie. "Why do you want to see inside this package, Dino? There's nothing to see. It's just firewood for my family." The Dino smirked slightly, which gave me pause. 'This one is kinda intelligent,' I thought to myself. A Black Dino was a combination of a Dino with a Monol's blood, I knew. Monols were rather intelligent... so, it seemed, this trait had carried over into this Dino. "Boy, you have no axe. I doubt you could chop firewood with your bare hands, so show me the package, or we'll just pry it from your fingers!" It growled at the end of its sentence, and I knew I was in a bit of trouble. There were at least half a dozen other Dinos standing next to the Captain Dino... and who knew how many others were waiting nearby for a signal to strike.  
  
"You want to see the package? Fine, but I'm telling you, there's only firewood." I responded, tilting the package for the Dino to see. It moved closer to get a better look, which was when I grinned slightly. The monster had fallen for my ruse, and that would be his downfall. With a sudden charge of energy, my hands began to accumulate a charge of a blue light, which then expanded quickly, developing a light blue center in the small radius of energy. Then, I uttered the words that would bring my own attack, one I had perfected myself, into being, to strike the monster so close. "Energy Blast!" I exclaimed, and the ball of energy flew from my outstretched hands and into the Dino. The captain had seen my attack forming, but had no chance to avoid it from so close. The energy ball slammed into its head, which knocked it away quite a bit. It lowered its head and rubbed at its eyes, even as it screamed. "Get him!" I knew it was time to go now.  
  
With a sudden burst of speed, I began to run, glad for the day or so of rest I'd gotten from running, as my aching body had managed to heal from the ordeal of Naga's attack. I was still limping a little, but my speed was fortunately enough to outrun the slow Dinos. Dinos are usually somewhat fast (in fact, they are average), however, a Monol is not. In the end, a Black Dino was a bit slower than most others of the Dino species are. As I tried to outrun them, my limping came back to haunt me as they began to catch up. Rushing past trees, branches, and a small stream, I was caught unaware as I fell down and into a small ditch. I winced in pain as my leg was jarred again, and then I felt another, rather searing pain in the area of my scar. My eyes went wide as I stifled a scream in pain, and I barely kept myself still as I heard the resounding thuds of Dinos near me. They hadn't noticed where I fell! I could hear them ask each other where they'd seen me go, and not one of them had a clue. Then, that familiar voice came back as the thudding stopped. It was the Captain Black Dino. "Alright, forget him. He didn't have anything we need or want. Let's get going toward that shrine... The Datons have reported that there are two people there with a mystery disk. We have to go and get that disk, now!"  
  
I lay there, shaking my head. 'That must be Holly and Suezo!' I thought to myself, and I got up quickly, throwing away any thoughts of saving myself from these monsters. It was more important that she be able to continue her quest for the Phoenix. I turned to the monsters, and grinned. My chest was bleeding, and I could feel the sticky warmth of the blood on my skin. It reminded me of the fight against a Hare Hound back in Jound's pack. It had clawed my chest, leaving a jagged line of three claw marks along my chest. It hadn't bled much, and it still wasn't, but it was enough to be noticeable. Then, I spoke as I raised my hands into a firing stance. "Energy Blast!"  
  
I launched two more of my energy attacks at the Dinos, and without waiting to see if they'd hit, I was off running. The pounding on the ground marked the fact that there were indeed lots of Black Dinos running after me. I continued running this time, weaving between trees, dodging off to the right and left, before taking a sharp turn toward the left along a road that had opened up before me. I knew that the Dinos were but a minute or two behind me, which left me with little time to make a decision as to which way to go. So, I simply dodged back to the left again, back into the forest, and I hid behind a tree. Looking around the tree and back to where the pounding of clawed feet on ground had stopped, I saw the Dinos about 30 feet back, looking aroudn in the middle of the road. They sniffed the air, but all they got was a snoot full of dust, which they'd created from the sudden stop on the dirt road. I gasped loudly, trying to regain some of my energy as quickly as I could... but, it was slow in happening. The Dinos began to spread out, and then I could see the captain Black Dino now. It had 2 rather large bruises- one on the side of its head, and one directly in its chest. It seemed that I had hit it with another one of my blasts.  
  
Looking up and to the branches above me, I considered climbing the tree, but decided against it. The scar was bleeding freely now, and only from a spot or two along my chest. I didn't want to make it worse- it might become infected, and now, who knew where the nearest village was? A large stomp brought my attention back to the Dinos who had been following me, and I slowly turned my head to see around the tree. I then blinked, and began to sweat, as I found myself face-to-snout with the Black Dino. Our noses touching, the Dino sweated as well as it stopped its forward motion toward me. "He, he, Hello..." I said, just as I fell back when the Dino tried to Bite my head off. Saved by the fall, but certainly not a bell, I scrambled to my feet, and then came up with my own reaction to its attack. Jumping up perfectly, I shifted my body weight into a horizontal motion, and then kicked out with my legs once again. The Dropkick attack caused my feet to slam into the side of the Dino's snout, which made it reel back about a foot before charging at me. 'It hadn't even bothered to tell its comrades that it had found me,' I thought, even as I flew back and against the tree. My mystery disks flew from my hand and into a small hole nearby. I shivered in pain, yelling out a little as I slumped to the ground, my head hanging down as I closed my eyes, waiting for something to happen next.  
  
"Alright, we've had our revenge on the little human... Lets get going to get that mystery disk from the other one!" The captain said, and all the Dinos began to charge out in the direction Holly had gone. At this rate, she'll be overtaken almost by the time they went to unlock the disk, I knew, and I could only hope that I'd given her and Suezo enough time to unlock some help. I'd done what I could: I delayed the monsters for a day or so with the tracks I'd made, and then again for an hour or so with the tricks and attacks I'd done to them. The Dino would be a little sore... but, monsters heal fast, most of the time, and I hadn't done that much damage to them. "I'm sorry..." I said softly, out loud, but to no one in particular. I slowly stood up, holding my tattered shirt against my chest to staunch the bleeding of my scar, even as I walked over to the mystery disks and picked them up. I needed help, and the only way to get some now, I realized, was to unlock some help. 'Thing is,' I thought, 'Where is a shrine?' I got to my feet after picking up the disks, and slowly, carefully, I headed south on the road, limping slowly along it.  
  
Several hours later, I was found by some travelers, who were then nice enough to give me a ride on a truckload of hay, even as their own Dino (a pure bred Dino) pulled them along the road and toward town. The Dino had even mentioned that it had been unlocked in this upcoming town. That alone gave me hope, as I smiled and rested in the back of the truck. One of the men came over and offered me a spare shirt, which I gladly accepted with a smile. "Thank you. I really appreciate your help." I said to them, to which they laughed and told me not to worry about it. Helping others in need was something that all people should do… and even the Dino agreed with that. It turned out that the Dino helped others as well when carting around a large or heavy load for humans. He enjoyed it, and he also got his own stable and food out of the deal too. It seemed that this village had several monsters that would do that as well, from what I gathered from the humans and Dino. Soon, we found ourselves in the town.  
  
With some directions from the helpful citizens of the town, and then being escorted by the Dino, I found myself at the Healer's house. It was a mostly small place from the outside, but after entering, I found that it was actually quite large. The healer had a large basement area that housed some sick monsters, as well as humans, though there were not many of either at the moment. The healer, an old man with a growing, snow-white colored beard, soon came up to me. "I could smell you all the way across the room, young man. Come now, it's time to clean you up." I chuckled softly, even as the healer laughed a little as well, and he guided me over toward a small room in the back. "Now, go get cleaned, young one, and then we will see to your wounds." I did as he said, going into the small room, I found a hot spring within it. The room itself was like a cave, I noticed, closing the door behind me. I laid the new shirt and my old pants on a small ledge near the spring, even as I held the torn up shirt against my scar. Slowly, I stepped into the spring, still wearing my shorts, and I sighed at the heat of the water.  
  
I gasped in pain as I moved to sit down near the side, the hot water coming up toward the scar. Finally, I sat down completely in the water up to my shoulders. The shirt floated away, and I winced as the scar began to sting. I sighed softly, slowly getting used to the sting as I closed my eyes, my mind wandering to think of other things... How was Holly and Suezo doing, I wondered. Was Jound alive? I began to dream as I drifted into a light nap.  
  
I was inside a house. At first, it was all fine: I was doing some sort of chores... perhaps cleaning the dishes? Then, suddenly, everything changed. I screamed as the house began to burn down, the walls melting, the people around me burning to a crisp. Monsters were changing into lost disks left and right as I looked around. Then, I saw the shadows with the red eyes. Shadows in the shapes of Hares, Jells, Tigers... they all intensely burned as they leered at me, laughing, cursing, and pointing at me. And then, even they were gone, screaming in pain as a larger form took shape close by. These eyes were pure white, and they had shot white-hot beams of energy through the house, through humans, monsters, and even the shadows themselves. "And now, little human, you are next!" the voice whispered evilly, the eyes glowing as energy accumulated around and within them, and suddenly the energy flashed over me...  
  
My eyes shot open as I woke up quickly, and I shivered at being so cold so quickly. I looked around, finding myself in the hot spring still, and I sighed softly. I couldn't believe that I had actually dreamt of being destroyed, along with all the other villagers. I shook my head, my eyes closing. I cried for all the people who had been lost, all the monsters that had given their lives to help protect the humans within the village. The village had been close with their monster friends, almost to the point that they had been family, and most times, everyone treated them as family.  
  
About an hour passed, I think, before I calmed down. I felt much better now, having gotten it out of my system. 'It was better to have dealt with it now,' I thought, as I got dressed. I stepped out of the hot spring room, and back into the clinic, where the healer was waiting for me. I wrapped the old shirt around the mystery disks, even as I looked to the healer. "Okay, now get on a bed, kid, I think we can heal you up." I nodded to the healer after he spoke, and I walked over to the nearest bed, which was next to a sleeping Blue-Furred Hare. Lying down, I let the healer do his job, only occasionally speaking or moving as he went about inspecting me. Finally, he got out a salve and smeared it across my scarred chest. I winced, and held my breath as I waited for the burning sensation to go away. I knew from before, that if this sort of salve burned, then infection had begun in the wound. The same thing had happened in my village after the incident with the Hare Hound about a year ago. The wound had healed nicely, but I still had a three-pronged scar in three jagged lines diagonally across my chest. It had opened up again in the fight against the Black Dinos, but at least it wasn't as bad this time.  
  
Once more, my thoughts went to the two searchers, and I mentally prayed to the Phoenix that they would be successful... and I knew that, even behind the scenes, I would do my best to help them as best I could. I doubted I could do much to help them. 'But, every little bit counts' I thought to myself, and I smiled slightly as I dozed off into a restful sleep, my arms still around the mystery disks, dreaming of happier times... Times before the coming of Moo...  



	5. Unlocking a Family

Chapter 5: Unlocking a Family  
  
A full week passed after I came to this village. I learned that its name is Yorinkia, and that the people here had very nice lives. A mill managed to grind flour, which was used to create bread. The mill itself was set up next to a river, which used the flowing water to turn large gears that would grind the grain. Monsters here were employed with humans, helping the smaller humans with the chores that needed done. Tigers and Hares were employed used to help cart grain to and from the mills, as well as to bring water to the farmlands. Golems and Dinos were employed to cart large amounts of material around, from rocks and boulders to hay and grass. Pixies (few though they were) were used to help plant the seeds and bulbs in gardens and farmland. Their speed and ability to fly, I saw, allowed them to sow the seeds much faster than any humans could.  
  
After the week, I was deemed fit by the village healer. I was still on crutches, unfortunately, and I'd had a splint done for my leg. One was on the thigh area, the other on my lower leg, they were tied together by some stiff rope. I was able to walk easily, but the splints made it difficult, if not impossible, to run. My scar had shrunk with the multiple uses of the salve every day upon it. I was able to breathe much easier now. I was also allowed to stay at the Healer's clinic until I was ready to continue on my journey. However, sleep was a different problem. Every other night, I would have the same dream of watching everyone in the village be destroyed, and then I would be killed too, by that Naga. I'd wake up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath.  
  
Today, however, was to be much different than the other days that I had been here. 'I'm going to have a family again,' I thought, as I looked up to the doorway that led into the large shrine. I looked to the two mystery disks that I held in my hands and smiled. 'Perhaps now, I can rest easy at night,' I wondered, closing my eyes as visions of the burning village passed through my mind. I opened them again as I shivered- thinking about that scene always gave me the shivers, and made me cold. Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice behind me, and I turned to see four beings that I hadn't thought that I would ever see. One was a small, pink monster that I had never seen before. It had large, black beady eyes and a beak-like mouth. I could only guess as to the kind of attacks such a monster might be able to produce.  
  
The other being was a young brown haired boy who was walking bare-footed. He looked around ten or so, but perhaps he was eleven. He had a pack on his back which seemed to be full of something, and then there was some strange contraption hanging down from below that pack. They looked like shoes, I thought... yet, they also had wheels on them. I had never seen such strange looking shoes before. The kid looked my way and his eyes seemed to be filled with pity. I guess it was because of my appearance.  
  
The other two, however, I'd known for a while. I hadn't seen them for a week or so, but I recognized them easily. It was Holly and Suezo! I couldn't believe it. The mere fact that they had been able to thwart any Baddies that had been in their way made me happy. Holly and Suezo glanced toward me as I smiled politely... but they must not have recognized me. The four simply walked past, with Genki looking at me as if sizing me up before deciding that I wasn't a threat at all. Into the shrine they'd gone, and after a few moments, they emerged with a new baby Spot Dino. I smiled as I went into the shrine after they were done, and Holly gasped, realizing who I was. I winked to her, and motioned for her to stay quiet. She smiled and nodded back to me before turning back to her small group, who had just been confronted before the steps of the shrine by an elderly couple who had a jacket and a pair of old shoes in their hands.  
  
I walked into the shrine, and sighed softly. I wasn't the last survivor! There were 2 others, alive and well. That alone, I knew, would allow me to sleep comfortably tonight. Today was going great. I was fully healed up and rarin' to go, I'd just found out the other two from my village were alive... and now, it was time to unlock my two mystery disks and release the monsters within them. I stepped onto the circular platform, and the lights in the dragon mouths surrounding the circle in four spots came on. As I reached the center, I took the first disk and placed it in the opening. With the other still in hand, I went to the control panel. I pressed on the large panel, and a light went on under the mystery disk. It began to spin fast, as I exerted a little more pressure upon it with each passing second. Suddenly, lights began to spark around the entire platform area, and I exerted more pressure. The energy within the shrine intensified, and suddenly, I knew it was time. "Unlock!"  
  
The shrine almost seemed to blink as the energy accumulated over and into the disk. Within a moment, the transmutation of mystery disk into monster was complete. I closed my eyes for a moment, able to hear the sighing of the newly-released monster as it began to wake. Then, I opened my eyes, ready to inspect the new monster I would be taking care of. My eyes went wide as I gazed upon the first monster I'd ever unlocked. It was very... small. It was also cute. It had small, feathery wings. Its hair was green. And, it even had a small horn sticking out near the top of its forehead. It was very cute.  
  
It was a Unico. 'Amazing.' I thought to myself, even as the small pixie yawned on the shrine platform. I stepped out from behind the control panel, and smiled warmly to the new monster. The Unico blinked, and looked at me with her wide eyes. I walked close to her, and then leaned down to kneel beside her. "Hello, Unico... I'm Tyson." I said to her, and I scooped her up in my arms. Unico was shivering slightly, being either afraid or cold, as I held her against my chest lightly. I felt her short, horse-like tail brush against my leg, and I smiled as I carried her over to the control panel. I set her down beside it carefully, before taking the other mystery disk in my hands. "Stay here please, okay Unico?" I said, smiling to her warmly before heading over to the Shrine platform again. I slipped the disk into place easily, and then walked back over to Unico, scooping her up in my arms again. She wasn't shivering this time, which I took as a good sign. "Here, Unico, this is how you unlock a monster."  
  
I took her small hands in mine and placed them on the large panel. With my larger hands helping hers, we pushed downward on the panel slowly. Unico watched the spinning disk in amazement as it spun, and then the energy flew in the air. She gasped in surprise as she watched the energy, and I smiled. "Push down hard now, Unico!" I said, and she did so quickly, using her whole body to provide the necessary weight. "Unlock!" I exclaimed, helping Unico to press down on the panel. The light grew bright and Unico cried in alarm, jumping into my arms, as the energy all gathered into the mystery disk. Even as I felt Unico's horn press against my neck, I smiled softly, gently trying to keep myself from getting impaled. Even then, the lights died down as the monster emerged from its disk.  
  
It was a small, segmented body that had emerged. Two eyes blinked several times. A total of six legs along its sides were visible. It had a shell over its body, I noticed. Suddenly, I knew just what type of monster this was, and I smiled. It was a Worm. It is often a good friend to have, when it came to getting somewhere fast. Though not as tough as a Golem or Durahan, a Worm was still very good at taking and dishing out hits. Basically, a Worm is pretty much average in all regards. A good worker, as well as a good friend.  
  
I was thinking all this when I noticed that Unico had leapt from my arms, and to the ground. Stumbling a little, it began to cry softly. I looked to Unico and smiled warmly, moving to pick her up and into my arms before going over to the worm and picking him up carefully as well. "Unico, this is Worm. Worm, this is Unico." I told them both, and I smiled. Then, Unico smiled, and finally, the Worm smiled as well. I knew that I had just found myself a new family with these two... hopefully, others might join us as well. I began to walk out of the shrine, when I heard footsteps hurry away. I glanced toward the doorway, and found that Holly had been watching the entire proceedings. I smiled warmly, and told the two small monsters in my arms "That girl is our hope, and we must help her if we can." I said to them softly, only to hear a soft whining sound. I glanced to the two monsters and smiles. Both had their eyes closed, and they were breathing gently. "Well, perhaps we had better wait a little while before leaving town." I said to myself, and smiled, heading toward the Healer's house to rest for a while. My crutches left behind in the shrine, as I knew that I could not afford to use them now that I had two new monsters to care for.  
  
I entered the clinic, and headed toward the area that had been closed off slightly, giving me a room of my own. I lay down upon the bed slowly, and smiled, both monsters snuggling up against me. It was at this time that I closed my eyes, and I dozed off, having a dream about having a family once again... I smiled as I napped, unaware that both of my new family members were doing the same. This had been a good day- hopefully, the next few days would be too.  
  
However, no one knows what the future shall bring... not even the Phoenix itself. But, the search for the Phoenix is another story. This story is to be told for the people who are not always remembered... and yet, they contribute just as much in their own ways. History may not recognize their deeds, or their names, but they do their best to help the main players in this game of chess. The pieces are being positioned at this point, and none yet are ready to strike. Stay tuned for Chapter 6!  
  
Author's Note: I will wait for at least two more reviews before continuing on with this series. Please, write more than simply "Good fic," okay? I want to know how to make this better.  



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